At least certain polyolefin (PO) microporous membranes and microporous fibers (or materials made therefrom) are known to be waterproof (or at least water resistant) and air permeable due to their chemical composition and structure. Examples of such polyolefin (PO) microporous membranes and hollow fibers or hollow fiber membranes known to be waterproof (or water resistant) and air permeable are various CELGARD® membranes, by way of example only, CELGARD® Z-series membranes, or CELGARD® hollow fibers or hollow fiber membranes produced by Celgard, LLC of Charlotte, N.C.
When constructing a waterproof and breathable garment (waterproof/breathable or w/b), seams typically are taped to prevent leakage through holes made during stitching. Commercially available seam tapes are generally made from polyurethane (PU), and can be used with waterproof/breathable (w/b) membranes made from PU, polyester (PET) and/or Teflon (ePTFE). However, these existing seam tapes may not be compatible with polyolefin-based w/b membranes, including polypropylene (PP) w/b membranes and/or polyethylene (PE) w/b membranes.